麹黴

Aspergillus oryzae

This fungus, called 麹黴 in Japan, is used in the first step in rice fermentation, as it digests the complex carbohyrates into simple sugars. The same is done with barley as an alternative to malting. It is also used to ferment soybeans to make soysauce. In the process of domestication this species lost the ability to produce the aflatoxins that other Aspergillus species produce.